The Championship is heating up for a festive period of football. The top three teams are currently separated by just seven points, as Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Leeds United fight for first place and automatic promotion.
Round No. 21 should be a fantastic midweek showcase.
Leicester City and Millwall last met in 2021 in the Carabao Cup tournament. The Foxes won the match 2-0 at the Den. On Wednesday, the clubs will play once more, but this time at the King Power Stadium.
Millwall went from being a promotion candidate last season to being a candidate for relegation this term. The Lions are 19th in the standings. Just one of Millwall’s last six games was a win, as the team took four points from 18 on offer.
Leicester go into the game unbeaten in their last four matches and winners of two straight games. The Foxes outscored their last two opponents 6-1. They are coming off a 4-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.
Norwich City and Sheffield Wednesday will meet for the first time since the 2020-21 season. The Canaries hold an historical edge over Sheffield Wednesday in their last six games, with a record of 4W-1D-1L.
Wednesday are mired in the relegation zone, with a mere 13 points. However, the Owls won their last two games, defeating Blackburn 3-1 and Stoke City 1-0.
Norwich are treading water in the middle of the standings. The Canaries took four points from their last four matches. A 2-1 win over Bristol City was followed by a nil-nil draw against Preston North End.
After a terrible start to the 2023-24 season, Queens Park Rangers are slowly improving. Rangers are 22nd in the league and two points from safety. They won each of their last three Championship matches, conceding a mere two goals.
Plymouth are coming off a 4-0 loss to league leaders Leicester City. Wednesday’s game at Loftus Road is a six-point relegation match-up. The Pilgrims are 18th in the standings and just three points ahead of QPR.
Three of the last six games between these teams ended as draws. However, QPR and Plymouth Argyle have not played since the 2020-21 Carabao Cup.
Coventry City and Southampton last played against each other during the 2021-22 FA Cup tournament. The game ended 2-1 in favour of Southampton in extra time. Now, the sides are both in the Championship and will clash on Wednesday.
Coventry were the beaten promotion playoff finalists last season. After the highs of 2022-23, the Sky Blues are struggling for consistency in the Championship. However, their form has improved, with three wins in their last four matches.
Southampton looked likely to fight for an automatic promotion place. However, the team is now 10 points off second place. The Saints did go unbeaten in their last six league matches, picking up 14 points and posting a goal difference of +5.